April 11, 2017

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May 2017 Art Show: Fumiyo Yoshikawa

in the Art Lounge at City Center, 300 Page Street, San Francisco

Opening: Friday, May 12, 7:30 – 9 pm

“I paint both representational and abstract paintings; representational in search of nature’s energy, and abstract in search of my inner voice. I dig deep in my mind to find the roots that connect with everything in nature. I am fascinated by the birth and passing of life by all creatures in the universe, their coexistence, the infinite cycle of life energy, and ecosystems. Eastern thought inspires me—‘All creatures in heaven and on earth come from the same root as myself’ and ‘All things and I are of one substance.’ I imagine that the memory and consciousness of living things from a distant past are part of a cycle, like an ecosystem. It is curious to perceive my memories from dreams or reality as coming from my subconscious that is connected to karma from my parents and prior generations, and to consciousness/unconsciousness of other people around me, as well as to the memory shared by this natural world. If such shared memory exists, I wonder in what shape or color? I ponder these thoughts while applying ink and paint on the paper surface. What spreads before me is a nearly random pattern. In it I might see abstract shapes and lines that stir the imagination or specific forms may emerge in my mind. That vision is projected in my artwork.”

Born and raised in Kyoto, where she studied Japanese art and history, Fumiyo Yoshikawa specializes in the Japanese brush painting methods sumi-e and nihonga. Since moving to San Francisco in 2004, her work has also incorporated elements of American art. She has exhibited widely at art museums and galleries in Japan since 1984 and in the United States since 2006. Fumiyo is on the board of The Sumi-e Society of America, Inc. and regularly teaches sumi-e and calligraphy at Walnut Creek Civic Arts and the Albany Community Center.